Cooking for One

Cooking for one has been a bit challenging, cutting those recipes down or knowing what left-overs to freeze.

Planning meals ahead of time, and of course remembering to cook when I'd rather be doing something creative.

I work 20 to 30 hours a week, so I'm out of the house 4 and 5 days a week.  Fortunately, I'm home early and have time to prepare meals.  It takes a little more effort to be inspired, but usually by the time the aromas waft through the house I'm glad I took the time to prepare something nutritious.

I eat organic although not vegetarian, but I will only eat chicken that's organic and from humane farm environments.  I also eat wild fish and shelf fish.

This winter I have enjoyed home baked bread from organic flours I purchase online from Purcell Mountain Farms.com.  (I also buy their organic beans.)  This way I can eat what I call guilt free bread without sugars or other added ingredients.  There are some great recipes using honey and molasses.

After reading "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD, I have decided I will now replace my flours with Einkorn and Emmer for my bread.

I also recommend "The Perfect 10 Diet" by Michael Aziz, MD, for understanding hormone balancing, good and bad oils, and there's even a Glycemic Index chart in there.

I recently created an excel spreadsheet to track my intake of foods for glycemic index, wheat content, and acidic and alkaline foods, among other things.  This way I can add or subtract foods to keep on track.

Among my favorite meals this winter have been cream of broccoli soup made with organic broccoli, rbST free milk, organic butter and a little seasoning.

I'm also enjoying split pea soup with a slice of organic turkey bacon, cooked and chopped.

My favorite dessert is apple or pear crisp for one - recipe as follows:

1/4 cup each of brown sugar and flour
1 or 2 tblsp butter, chopped in to above mixture with a pastry blender
Add 1/4 cup of old fashioned oats and
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
1/4 teasp each of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Add bite size pieces of one apple or pear to a one serving size souffle dish and sprinkle the mixture on top.
Sprinkle some almond slivers on top of that.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until fruit is tender.

It's important to remember to eat healthy, even for one!!

Return of the Sun

 At this time of year I eagerly track the patterns of the sun in anticipation of longer days.

Thinning out those weedy pines on the hill was a great step in extending my southern exposure.  I get sun on the house at any time of day now before 4pm, even if just a sliver of sunlight - when the sky is clear anyway.

We've had enough dramatic weather in the past two months to make up for a whole season if you ask me.  Snow, wind, and rain storms, 13 power outages, and that last cold spell down from Canada made me feel like I lived in the arctic!

I've been tested on my pioneer skills (and tolerance) enough to make me wonder if another location would be any easier.  But in the words of the Abraham collective;  you take your (energy) vibration with you wherever you go.  So until I can master this lifestyle with ease, I shall just carry on here.

The best thing that happened this winter was the purchase and use of a light box for the symptoms of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  I wasn't sure to what degree I had this but learned about it in a terrific book called "Winter Blues" by Norman E. Rosenthal, MD.  (By the way, the fourth edition has updated information).

I feel like a new person!  I feel like the person I am during the longer, lighter days.  Energetic, inspired, confident.  There's a lot to be said for a balanced brain chemistry!  

With this new tool I am better able to cope with the challenges that come along here.

After the last snowstorm and nearly 3 day power outage, I got busy working with my local development on an emergency call list.  I'm happy to say that I have passed through all the red tape so far and will soon be implementing the plan.  We will ask residents if they would like to be on the list, to have someone call or check on them during outages or storms.  A designated representative from each division will cover their area.  Sometimes just a human voice that cares is a comfort to those that live alone.

It's a great concept that I hope will catch on in other housing developments and small communities.

Work continues on the kitchen, and small steps are getting accomplished.  I'm taking pictures of the progress and will post them when I'm nearer to completion.

In the meantime, I hope you are all well and getting off to a great start in this new year!

New Calendar!

The new 2013 wall calendar is out!  I have used MagCloud, my trusty book making company, to compile the top 12 images for this years calendar.

This is a nice size, 8x8, not too small, not too big.  Beautiful color images, and only $12 plus shipping.
Here's the link: